CHAPTER NINE: STACIA LET'S THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR NOT UPDATING, BUT I HAD A LOT OF HOMEWORK AND THEN THERE WAS EARTH DAY AND ALL... ANYWAYS, YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO FIND OUT A REALLY BIG SECRET THIS CHAPTER TO KEEP READING.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PJO OR HOO, RICK RIORDAN DOES. I DO OWN THE PLOT THOUGH. SO DON'T STEAL IT.
HUNTER JACKSON'S POV
I can check 'Getting mauled' off of my to-do list today. I'm not even worried about the fact that I nearly died. What scares me is that Stacia was the one trying to murder me. I thought we were 'friends'. Apparently, going through one near-death experience together isn't enough, she has to undergo anotherone. Well, in this case it was more like near-death for me and near-victory for her.
"I really need to tell you something," Stacia repeated near tears. Jenn's friend, Miranda pulled the arrow out of her side. She winced in pain, but didn't say anything.
"Maybe you could have told us without trying to kill Hunter," Giselle hissed, the only one who had come to their senses, "I don't know about you, but generally, people use wordsto solve problems."
I wasn't liking this side of Giselle. It was... evil. I was still standing in shock like Alex and Jenn. Stacia had just shape-shifted. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that isn't normal.
"Please, just let me explain," Stacia begged.
"I really don't know if you can explain this," Alex said pointing to the damaged caused by Stacia while she was strangling me.
"I was told I had to kill Hunter," Stacia told us, looking away in shame.
"Kill me?" I managed to squeak. I had spent a day with someone who was trying to kill me? And I didn't even notice? It hadn't seemed that way when she was FLIRTING with me.
"I-I had a d-d-dream last n-night," she stuttered. I almost felt bad for her. Almost, but I couldn't really forget that she had been trying to murder me three minutes ago. So I wasn't feeling all that sympathetic, sue me.
"And this dream, did you see yourself ripping me to shreds?" I asked her.
"N-no. There was a v-voice telling me that if I didn't kill you m-my mom and d-dad..." she trailed off, but she didn't need to finish the sentence, "It was a c-creepy voice. I th-think it was Saturn."
"Wait... Kronos?" Alex asked in shock.
Jenn's face dropped, "Impossible. It's only been twenty something years. It's not possible..."
Even I could tell this was not good. If a Titan... comes back to life, not even three decades after he was defeated- by none other than my dad, Percy Jackson- and demands that I be killed... let's just say, I'm a goner.
"You guys probably hate me. I didn't want to have to kill Hunter, honestly. Its just... now you guys know... why I couldn't be part of the prophecy. What if- if Kronos told me to kill all of you?" Stacia said, still examining every speck of dirt on the ground.
"Yeah, I'd be terrible if something happened to us. Just five minutes ago she was tackling Hunter like they were in a wrestling arena," Giselle muttered under her breath, but she was close enough to me that I could hear.
I looked around to see everyone else's reaction to what Stacia had just said. I spotted Miranda, out of the corner of my eye. She was watching all of us intently. I think she was waited for someone to do some out-of-the-ordinary concept. Like turn into a lion for example...
"Hey, before we all start arguing, how exactly did you turn into a lion?" I asked Stacia.
That got everyone's attention who tuned their focus onto Station Stacia. Stacia looked like she was choking, tryig to get the words out.
"Umm, I kind of have a gift," she managed.
"Understatement of the year," I said.
"Uh, yeah there's a difference between 'gift' and 'incredible powers'," Miranda said.
"Yeah, I can change... shape," Stacia admitted, like we didn't witness her turn into a snake and a lion. Well, duh.
"That's so cool!" Alex exclaimed, "Can you do eagle form?"
"Alex!" Giselle warned. Leave it to him to totally break the ice in a serious situation.
"Sorry, got caught up in the moment," he said backing up into Miranda. Miranda blushed tomato red, but Alex didn't notice.
Gisell rolled her eyes, which was really cute. I mean... you know what? Forget I said that.
"Stacia, I think-" Jenn started.
"-I'll be leaving tonight. I really don't want to cause you guys any trouble," Stacia said, getting off the ground.
"Stacia," I said, "Don't leave. You should have just told us about your dream. We could have helped you."
"You would really do that for me?" she asked in shock.
"Of course," I said, "We're friends right? Besides, you can't leave because your side looks like a bloody waterfall. We need to get you to a medic."
She looked down as if she was just noticing her waist was spewing blood, "Oh, this is nothing."
Nothing? I think I may have fainted if I lost half that much blood. But don't tell anyone I said that, or you may not be alive the next morning.
"Alex, come on," I said supporting her left side. Alex got her other side, but when we walked one of us nearly collapsed. No, it wasn't Stacia. Or even Alex.
"Hunter!" Miranda shouted. She was at my side the next second, "I think you've forgotten that I'm a daughter of Apollo. The god of medicine."
Oh right. I lay on the ground, already sore form my brawl with Stacia.
"Idiot," Jenn said, standing over me shaking her head with a disapproving looking her eyes, but I could tell she was worried for me, "I'll help you Stacia. Miranda, once you're done with my stupid excuse of a brother, could you help Stacia? We'll try getting her to the Big House."
Miranda searched my eyes. Apparently, you can tell the seriousness of an injury that way because after she was done with that she said, "You're just tired. Like, really tired. I suggest you don't fight any lions or snakes for a while. And rest, lots of rest."
"Thanks," I grumbled. Like I didn't already know that.
"I've gotta go take care of Stacia now," Miranda said sprinting off in the direction that Alex and Jenn led Stacia.
I propped myself up into a sitting position and looked up a Giselle who stared back.
"Hmm, contemplating how much of a loser I am?" I asked her.
She didn't smile, "How could you do that?"
I looked at her, confused, "Do what? Be an idiot?"
"No, Stacia tied to kill you and you-"
I groaned and flopped back onto the ground, "-didn't do anything? Stood there in shock like I've never been in a fight in my life? I've got to face the facts, I'm... incapable of anything."
Giselle stared at me blubbering like a fish. She started waving her hands around, "Are you blind? You are NOT weak! In fact, you're anything but weak. Stacia just tried to kill you, and almost succeed-"
"Thanks for reminding me. Is this supposed to be some inspirational speech or something? 'Cuz I'm not exactly inspired," I told her.
"Would you just let me finish?" she asked.
"Yeah, sure."
"It was a rhetorical question."
"Oh."
"As I was saying, she tried to kill you and you forgave her for doing that. If anyone else was in that position, I'm not sure they would have made that definition. I, sure as Hades, wouldn't have forgiven her."
"Yeah, but you've got some grudge against her or something over a guy," I mumbled.
"Yeah, but... wait," she narrowed her eyes at me, "How do you know that?"
"Uh..."
She waved it off, "My point is, that was bold... and it takes more courage to do that then slay a monster. Which means, you're not weak Hunter. You're probably stronger than most people will ever be."
I really didn't know what to say to that.
JENNIFER JACKSON'S POV
"You guys, you should just drop me. I don't even deserve to heal," Stacia told Alex and me. She had been like that ever since we started walking.
"Okay, you obviously don't get that Hunter forgives you and we do as well," I told her truthfully.
"Yeah, now would you keep up? You're getting heavy," Alex complained. This coming for the guy who had slain a couple empusai last night.
"Alex, let me go. The least I could do is walk to the Big House by myself. Especially since you insist on letting me off the hook for nearly murdering Hunter," Stacia said, freeing herself from our grasp. (A/N Grasps?)
"Okay..." Alex said uncertain, "But if you fall into a pit of snakes, its on you."
"Alex, we don't have snake pits here," I told him.
"You should, it would be awesome."
We were entering the battle field when Miranda ran in behind us, "You guys are still here?"
"Well, yeah, we were dragging Stacia around she couldn't walk all that well," I said.
"Oh, well, hurry up!" she urged.
We picked up our pace, supporting Stacia even though she protested against it. No one was at the Big House, they were still all playing Capture the Flag. Somehow, we managed to not disturb them with all the commotion we were making.
"Alright," Miranda said, "I'll take it from here."
She shut the doors and left Alex and me standing there with nothing to do.
"What was your friend's name?" Alex asked me, "The cute one?"
I rolled my eyes and started to walk away.
"Jenn! Wait! I need her number!" he called after me.
I was so NOT looking forward to turning thirteen tomorrow. Teenagers...
SORRY AGAIN FOR NOT UPDATING ON TIME, BUT I WASN'T FEELING WELL YESTERDAY AO THE CHAPTER WOULD HAVE BEEN ALL DEPRESSING AND STUFF. THEN YOU GUYS WOULD FIND OUT WHERE I LIVE AND RIOT OUTSIDE MY HOUSE... ANYWAYS, REVIEW, WHETHER ITS TO TELL ME HOW AWESOME I AM OR HOW I SHOULD GO DIE IN A HOLE (MOST LIKELY THE SECOND ONE). I'M NOT GETTING MANY REVIEWS COMPARED TO MY OTHER STORIES. I BLAME MYSELF...
